Those Victorian terraces around Orpington High Street weren't built on shaky foundations - neither should your garden building. Getting the groundwork right matters, especially with our London clay soil that shifts like nobody's business.
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Every summer, homeowners from Petts Wood to St Mary Cray discover their shed has developed an interesting tilt or their conservatory floor has cracked. It's rarely the structure's fault - it's what's underneath. Orpington's mix of chalk deposits and heavy clay creates unique challenges that weekend DIY concrete pours simply can't handle. Professional base installation isn't glamorous work, but it's the difference between a project lasting decades or developing problems within months.
Proper base construction starts with understanding soil composition at your specific address - the ground conditions vary dramatically even between neighbouring roads in BR5 and BR6. Excavation depth depends on what you're supporting: a simple shed might need 150mm, while a garden room requires 300mm plus. Steel reinforcement mesh prevents cracking as temperatures fluctuate, whilst proper membrane installation stops moisture wicking up through your lovely new floor. The concrete mix itself needs adjusting based on weather conditions - too wet during our frequent drizzle and it weakens, too dry in summer heat and it cracks before curing.
Twenty years of laying bases across Orpington means knowing which suppliers deliver quality aggregates on time and which corners absolutely cannot be cut. Most importantly, we understand that your back garden isn't a building site - it's where your kids play and where you relax after work.
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Garden shed bases (8x6ft) generally run £400-600, whilst larger structures like double garages or garden rooms (20x15ft) range from £1,800-2,500. These figures include excavation, hardcore sub-base, steel mesh reinforcement and quality concrete - everything needed for Orpington's challenging ground conditions.
Absolutely - from the Ramsden estate in BR5 through to the Chelsfield Village end of BR6. Regular projects in Petts Wood, St Mary Cray and surrounding areas mean we know the local ground conditions inside out.
Smaller bases (under 15m²) typically complete in one day, with 48 hours before you can build on them. Larger installations might need two days for excavation and pouring, then a week's curing time before heavy loads. Weather dependent, naturally.
Each base installation carries a 10-year structural warranty covering settlement, cracking or moisture ingress. This assumes normal domestic use - we're confident in this because proper ground preparation and quality materials simply last when installed correctly.
Victorian terraces and 1930s semis around Orpington often have narrow side returns - we work with these constraints weekly. Concrete can be pumped or barrowed, and mini-diggers fit through standard garden gates. Where machinery won't fit, hand digging is always possible, though this affects timescales.
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